You’ve told us that improving transport is important, including addressing congestion, safety and having more choice in how and when you travel.

So we’re investing $51.2 billion in long overdue improvements in roads and public transport to ensure infrastructure keeps pace with our needs. We have a transport plan for NSW that’s focused on making trips faster, easier and safer.

And we’ve already begun. We’ve introduced Opal Cards, 30,000 extra weekly public transport services, more peak-time express trains and real-time travel apps so you can plan, have more options and more convenient journeys.

Now we’re on the countdown to Sydney Metro. With brand new, fully-automated (driverless) trains and turn up and go services every four minutes in the peak, fast, easy and reliable journeys are just around the corner.

The first stage between Chatswood and Rouse Hill will start up services in the first half of next year.

By 2024, Sydney will have 31 metro stations along 66 kilometres of standalone tracks stretching from Rouse Hill in the North West, through Chatswood, under Sydney Harbour, through the city centre and on to Bankstown in the South West.

High tech, driverless trains will help take the pressure off the Sydney Trains network, meaning we can redistribute services to other areas. Together, this new connected rail network will increase the number of services across Sydney to up to 200 an hour in the busy morning peak, compared to 120 today.

At ultimate capacity, metro trains will run every two minutes in each direction under the Sydney CBD. You won’t need a timetable — you’ll just turn up and go.

In the South West, passengers will save more than an hour a week in travel times between Bankstown and Central. And it doesn’t stop there. In the second half of the 2020s, metro rail will head west to link the Sydney CBD with Greater Parramatta and Westmead.

Get onboard

The first of Australia’s driverless metro trains was delivered last year. Ten trains are now being put through their paces to get ready for passengers, with 22 to be delivered all up.

Fast and reliable? Tick. Metro trains will run at 98 percent on-time reliability. Three double doors per carriage means you’ll be able to get on and off faster, and new technology means less time between trains and less time waiting at stations.

Accessible? Absolutely. Features will include wheelchair spaces, storage areas for luggage, bikes, prams and more. Platforms will be seamlessly level with trains, and all metro stations will have lifts.

Safe? Without a doubt. Safety is the number one priority for Sydney Metro. Each train has 38 security cameras, emergency help points and platform screen doors, like the ones you see in Singapore and Hong Kong, to keep people and objects like prams safely away from the tracks.

Customer service assistants will be on hand day and night throughout the network and the whole operation will be constantly monitored by expert train controllers.

Short term pain, long term gain

We know it’s going to be disruptive for train commuters, but the benefit next year will be almost four times as many services than we currently run in the peak.

To keep locals, uni students and workers moving, we’re setting up Station Link — a high frequency, turn up and go bus service.

• Starts 30 September 2018
• Hot pink, fully accessible, air-conditioned buses
• Services to stations between Epping and Chatswood at least every six minutes in the peak
• More than a thousand extra services a day
• A direct service to Macquarie University from Epping Station.

Michael’s Metro journey

Michael Burden has been part of the Sydney Metro journey from the very beginning.

“I was originally working with a construction partner but then I got the opportunity to jump the fence and take on the role of skytrain delivery manager,” Michael said.

The elevated skytrain section runs four kilometres from Bella Vista to Rouse Hill. It’s the most visible section of the new railway, soaring an average 13 metres in the air parallel to Windsor Road. It includes a cable-stayed railway bridge — similar to Sydney’s Anzac Bridge — and is set to become a local iconic landmark for the north west.

Recently, a major milestone for the project was reached when one of the new driverless trains travelled across the skytrain for the first time in testing.

“I can safely say it’s the best project I’ve ever worked on. It’s not just what we’re doing – bringing public transport to areas that really need it — but it’s also how we’re doing it that I’m proud of. Our ethos is to maximise the value we deliver to passengers, the general public and the city, with safety always top of mind,” he said.

As a resident of the North West himself, Michael is eagerly anticipating the start of services next year, and is currently enjoying his role as Senior Project Manager for Barangaroo’s metro station.

“I’ve lived in the North West since high school and having a rail line out here has been talked about forever. It’s great to know that by the time my son’s in high school he’ll be able to take advantage of a frequent train service right on our doorstep… and I had a hand in making that happen,” he said.

Metro fast facts

A look inside our first fully-automated Sydney Metro trains.

A train every four minutes in the peak — you won’t need timetables, you can just turn up and go.

While we upgrade the Epping to Chatswood line to get metro ready, Station Link bus services will run at least every 6 minutes in the peak to keep you moving.

Metro trains will be washed in seven minutes using recycled water with at least 80 per cent of the water reused.

There will be continuous mobile phone coverage throughout the Sydney Metro network.

Sydney Metro will boost Sydney’s economy by $5 billion each year.

Functional, beautiful places for the community

The new Castle Hill Station set to open next year.

One of the other great things about Sydney Metro is the role it will help to play in creating functional and beautiful places for the community to visit, shop and play.

Take the recently unveiled design of Castle Hill Station for example. Not only will it be a major transport interchange when it opens in the first half of 2019, it will also support a vibrant residential, retail and entertainment precinct.

Underground it will include a direct pedestrian link to Castle Towers Shopping Centre and above ground, the Arthur Whitling Park will have play areas and sculptures.

Station skylights will cast patterns of natural light and colour which will change with the time of day and act as lanterns at night.

Find out what’s happening in your area

Building roads and public transport infrastructure is disruptive and takes time. Thanks for your patience.

You can find out more about Sydney Metro or the roads and public transport changes happening in your area at mysydney.nsw.gov.au

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